Bid to get $50m from gay governor

THE man who claims New Jersey Governor James E McGreevey sexually harassed him was pushing for a cash settlement of up to $50 million before the governor decided to announce that he was gay and had an extramarital affair.

Golan Cipel’s demands also included a last-minute push to have Mr McGreevey’s administration approve development plans for a private medical college in the state. Mr McGreevey’s lawyer refused to negotiate, one of the sources said, and rejected repeated offers to pay cash to avoid a lawsuit that would detail the governor’s relationship with Mr Cipel, a former campaign aide whose appointment as a homeland security adviser with little experience provoked a major political controversy for the governor.

Mr Cipel’s lawyer first contacted Mr McGreevey on July 23, asking for $50 million, an administration source said.